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— community’
JULY 15, 2011
W W W .J U S T O U T . C O M
Age Ain’t Nothin’
But a Number
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change gather for
first Pacific Northwest Regional conference
BY RYAN J. PRADO
Portland
503 . 227.1212
roadway
vancouver
5 0 3 . 2 5 7 .0 4 8 8
www.mobilewestpdx.com
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Mobile West takes PRIDE in your car stereo.
Whether you’ve noticed it or not, ageism the Portland chapter. Now, for the first time
is everywhere. Chances are if you’re unaware, in O LOC’s history, the Pacific Northwest—
you might be a part of the problem. Here’s a specifically, Tacoma, Wash.—plays host to
quick test: Did you chuckle when Betty the organization’s regional conference,
White and Abe Vigoda were famously tack which as co-founder Brindley sees it should
led during a pickup football game in the help boost the group’s visibility, and rally
Super Bowl XLV Snickers commercial? support for their important mission.
Mary Beth Brindley didn’t, and odds are the
“An awful lot of old people, period—not
entirety of the national organization Old just old lesbians—do not stick up for them
Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC) selves,” says Brindley, 71. “We absolutely
felt the same way. On their watch, ageism must do that, be it on the bus, at the doctor’s
has nowhere to hide.
office, anywhere. Any instance where people
“lh a t was so belittling
are belittling, downplay
to knock those two mar “I would have never con
ing old people, ignoring
velous and, yes, famous,
us, we have got to stand
sidered myself an activist
people to the ground in
up for ourselves.”
until
I
came
to
Portland.
I
the mud in order to adver
Portland’s
OLOC
tise a candy bar,” says was too busy hiding in the
chapter has about 20
Brindley, the chair of
members total, with
closet to try to protect my
Portland’s chapter of
about 11 who actively
sanity
and
my
existence.
It
OLOC. “I got on the In
support the group’s ef
ternet and told them what brought out the best in me.” forts. The 2011 Regional
I thought about that. Our
July
-M A R Y B E TH B R IN D LEY Gathering—held
nation must really enjoy
28-31—is a partnership
seeing seniors pushed in the mud.”
venture between Portland’s chapter and the
For the past 20 years, that sense of pro Puget Sound chapter. During the three-day
tecting and encouraging senior citizens to conference, various panels and workshops
stand up against discrimination has fueled tackle the themes of community, visibility
OLOC, and provided the benchmark for and action, with a keynote address by award
combating ageism not just in the LGBT winning author and historian Lillian Fader-
community, but with seniors across the man. Keeping the community abreast of
board. In 1990, a group of old lesbians in discriminatory issues facing old people has
Santa Barbara, Calif, became fed up with been at the center of Brindley’s focus since
the stigma, and sparked the first inklings of she moved to Portland from Fort Worth,
what became OLOC. In 1999, six Portland Texas 15 years ago.
Jesbians said the same thing and established
“I was closeted for almost 40 years, so I
4
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M H H I f lH H W M H M M i
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